


Dancing and Distractions

by felixs_thigh_highs



Series: Burn Until We Meet Again [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ambiguous Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Fluff, Garreg Mach Ball (Fire Emblem), Goddess Tower (Fire Emblem), M/M, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23350783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/felixs_thigh_highs/pseuds/felixs_thigh_highs
Summary: Felix had had enough. There was only one place he could go within the monastery walls to put some space between himself and the noise. He made for the northern door of the hall and the bridge that led to the cathedral. Maybe these heathens had enough decency to keep their revelry away from the holy place....Felix seeks some quiet during the Garreg Mach Ball. Guess who crashes it?
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Series: Burn Until We Meet Again [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1655503
Kudos: 43





	Dancing and Distractions

**Author's Note:**

> I know that everyone has their own version of "my ship at the Garreg Mach Ball/Goddess Tower scene," but here's my humble Sylvix contribution.

Felix watched as Dimitri twirled around the dance floor, gazing down softly at the auburn-haired girl in his arms. Years of etiquette and dancing lessons were being put to good use, with his impeccable footwork and perfect posture. The night before, when Dimitri had called this whole ball business absurd and a burden, Felix had thought that he and the prince might wind up sitting at one of the high-top tables and making disparaging comments about the dancers, and maybe Felix could get in a barb or two directed at the boar.

Disgusted with the look on Dimitri’s face, Felix next sought out Ingrid, who had also expressed a lack of enthusiasm about the ball. Throughout the night, she had danced with any partner who requested a dance, doing her due diligence for her house and entertaining any possible suitors. Now, though, she and Ashe were hovering by the snack table, sampling the various delicacies and having a very spirited conversation. No doubt they were talking about some inane tale of chivalry they both loved. How annoying.

Felix’s eyes finally alighted on the person he had been avoiding all night, the one person who was hardest for him to ignore, with his head of fiery hair that towered over most of the other students and raucous laughter that echoed throughout the hall. Sylvain, his best friend since childhood, who recently had been causing him to think and feel some very strange things. 

Currently Sylvain was twirling some blonde girl around the dance floor, much faster than the music called for. She was laughing and he was wearing his fake charming smile, the one he always donned when he was cavorting with some girl he cared nothing for. Which was all of them to be honest. The song ended, and he stepped back and bowed, effectively ending her turn with him. There were too many girls, so he couldn’t afford to spend more than one song with each. Before the band could set up for the next song, Sylvain dashed over to the snack table, waving at Ingrid and Ashe before grabbing a bite to eat and a drink of water to replenish his energy. Ingrid just rolled her eyes at his eagerness to go find another girl to lavish his attention on.

The next tune was a slow one. Sylvain approached the nearest girl with whom he hadn’t yet danced, took her hand, and bowed. The dark-haired girl giggled behind her free hand and nodded at this proposition, allowing him to lead her to the floor. Once there, he spun her around and pulled her close, his hands a little lower on her waist than was appropriate. He leaned in close and whispered something in her ear, which made her blush bright red. Then he pulled her toward the western door, no doubt on his way to a make-out session in the courtyard.

Felix had had enough. He needed to get far away from the hall before Sylvain came back with mussed-up hair, disheveled clothes, kiss-swollen lips, and possibly a red hand mark on his cheek from where the girl will slap him when he makes some excuse to get away from her. The dormitories were far too close to the merriment, which had bled to the dining hall and the lake, so his room was out of the question. The training grounds were locked tonight, otherwise he would have been there this whole time. (Seteth was probably onto him and wanted him to spend some time “bonding” and “interacting with his allies.”) There was only one place he could go within the monastery walls to put some space between himself and the noise. He made for the northern door of the hall and the bridge that led to the cathedral. Maybe these heathens had enough decency to keep their revelry away from the holy place.

…

Sylvain led the girl (Mara? Lara? It had been hard to hear over the music, and Sylvain really wasn’t that concerned with knowing her name) out to the courtyard, where they claimed a bench and immediately started kissing. This girl was slender and tall, with inky-dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. She was a good enough stand-in.

“Oh, Sylvain,” she giggled against his lips. “You’re so hot.”

With great effort, he refrained from rolling his eyes and groaning. Like she was the first girl who had complimented him on his looks. Instead, he pulled back from her just enough to smile charmingly and say, “Less talking, more kissing.”

She giggled again (why were the attractive ones always so giggly?) and came in for another sloppy kiss. Sylvain closed his eyes and let his mind wander, creating the fantasy that this was happening with someone else. He reached up and gently stroked her soft hair, running the ponytail through his fingers before loosening the hair tie and letting it tumble over her shoulders. Opening his eyes just a little, he looked at the hair he had just freed, shining a dark, almost navy color in the light of the moon. He continued his stroking with his right hand while his left pulled her closer on the bench, their hips and knees now pressed together. He kept his arm wrapped around her slender waist and stroked up and down her side, imagining that the taut muscles he felt were trained by many hours spent swinging a sword, careful not to hit anything too sensitive or curvy.

When had his make-out sessions turned into fantasy sessions, rather than a convenient way to release some pent-up frustration and have a little fun in the process? He could have any girl in this place anytime he wanted, so why had his body gone and decided to be attracted to probably the only person that would never give him the time of day romantically? It was incredibly frustrating, thus the increase in hook-ups recently and the need to constantly be dancing with somebody at the ball, lest he lose his mind and ask that person to the floor.

Sylvain was suddenly brought back to the here and now by a sharp nibble on his bottom lip. He barely kept himself from jumping completely away from the dark-haired girl, but she must have taken the slight movement as a shudder of pleasure. Stroking his thigh, she pulled back and gazed up at him from under her dark eyelashes.

“Want to head somewhere more private? Your room, perhaps?”

And just like that, the fun was over. Usually, Sylvain was not one to turn down an invitation to go “somewhere more private,” but this time, the similarity between this girl and the true object of his affection would have thrown him off his game, and possibly have him saying things or moaning names that would definitely get him kicked out. So instead, Sylvain put one hand on the back of his neck in what he hoped was a disarming sort of way.

“I’m flattered, really I am.” 

She seemed to gather where this speech was going; she scooted away from him on the bench and crossed her arms. “But?”

He held up his palms in a calming manner. “Hey, don’t get defensive. I had a lot of fun with you out here. Can’t we just leave it at that?”

She stood up angrily. “Is that all I am to you? A quick make-out buddy? Am I not good enough to deserve any more of your time?”

“Baby, come on. Don’t get angry. Let’s talk about this.” He reached out to touch her arm, but she stepped away.

“Ugh, they’re all right about you, Sylvain. You’re a jerk.” With that, she stormed back to the hall.

He sighed heavily, stretching his arms over his head. After giving her a bit of a head start, he stood up and returned to the hall as well. He was done with girls for the night and he wanted the companionship of someone that saw him as more than a walking, talking Crest with a nice face. He was sure Felix had some good insults to hurl at Sylvain that he had been saving up all night. Maybe they could leave together and get away from the crowd, and if anyone asked, Sylvain could say it was Felix’s idea.

Once back in the hall, he looked around for his navy-haired friend, but he wasn’t in any of the places he had been all night. He briefly considered leaving his friend to his own devices and staying at the ball, but then he accidentally made eye contact with the girl he had just spurned, who was surrounded by a gaggle of girls. She said something to her group, and they all turned as one to glare daggers at him.

“All right, all right, I’m leaving,” he muttered to no one in particular.

After a quick survey of the grounds surrounding the hall, he decided that Felix must have gone somewhere far from the noise the ball was generating. The training grounds were locked, so he must have headed north, toward the cathedral.

...

As Felix crossed the bridge, the sounds behind him fell away, and an almost supernatural quiet descended. He breathed a sigh of relief and slowed his furious pace, strolling instead of storming, as the grand facade of the cathedral grew larger before him. He had never been a devout believer, only learning enough about the Church of Seiros to become an effective duke when the time came, but something about this building always gave him pause. He entered the hallowed nave and sat on the backmost pew. As he gazed up on the stained glass behind the altar, illuminated with moonlight, he could almost believe that the Goddess really did exist and that she cared what happened to the people of this world.

Before his thoughts could sour in the way they usually did when he considered the Goddess and the Church (how could a benevolent Goddess allow his brother to die the way that he had?), Felix heard quiet footsteps on the stone behind him. His hand reached instinctively to his side, where he usually wore a sword, but no weapons had been allowed into the ball, so his sword belt was empty. Not that he was worried about being attacked in the cathedral, but he felt uncomfortable, naked even, without the weight of his sword beside him. But if someone were here to do him harm, he was also trained in brawling and magic, so he could defend himself, sword or no sword.

The stranger finally came up level with the pew and sat down next to him. Felix glanced over without turning his head and sighed. Sylvain. Of course it was Sylvain.

“Tired of the party already? Surely you can’t have danced with  _ every _ girl yet.” Felix crossed his arms and allowed a bit of ice to seep into his voice.

Sylvain let out a single chuckle, almost sardonic. “I danced with enough of them. They all start to blur together after a while.”

Felix snorted. “Do you even remember any of their names?”

“Nope. Didn’t ask.”

“Not even the one you took outside to slobber all over?”

“Which one?”

“Typical.” Felix rolled his eyes and sighed loudly. “So why  _ are _ you here? Hiding from a girl?”

“No. You weren’t in the hall so I went looking for you. Why did you leave?”

“Too much merriment. It’s too loud for me to try to go to sleep, so I came here for peace and quiet instead. Fat lot of good that did me, because now  _ you’re _ here.”

Sylvain let loose a real laugh this time. “Oh, Felix. You slay me. You and I both know you enjoy my company.” 

He slung an arm around Felix’s shoulder, and to his credit, Felix didn’t immediately shrug it off. Instead he froze at the tightness in his chest and the warmth blooming in his face as Sylvain pulled him into a side hug. He was suddenly reminded of their magic training session where literal sparks had flown, and the tightness and warmth were joined by butterflies in his stomach. In his mind flashed an image of Sylvain grasping his chin and pulling him into a fervent kiss, whisking him off his feet and taking him back to his room...

He stood abruptly and stalked away from a confused Sylvain, heading toward the door to his left. He ignored Sylvain calling after him, desperately needing some fresh air.

Felix didn't slow his pace until he reached the low stone wall of the balcony next to the well. The cool stone against his hands grounded him. He hung his head and gently shook it from side to side, trying to rid himself of the image that had assaulted his mind’s eye when Sylvain had pulled him close. It was an absurd thing to consider; there was a snowball’s chance in Ailell that something like that would ever come to pass. So why did it hurt so much to think about?

Sylvain was hardly a stealthy man, but Felix was so lost in his own head that he didn’t hear the redhead approach. He startled at the presence next to him, jumping back a bit but never meeting his eyes. Sylvain reached out as if to place a comforting hand on the younger man’s arm but thought better of it, instead placing both hands on top of the stone wall.

“Sorry if I made you upset in there.” His gaze fell to his hands, his voice soft and genuine. “I don’t really know what I did, but I’m sorry for doing it.”

Felix just shook his head, staring straight in front of him. It just now occurred to him that they were right next to the Goddess Tower, where couples went on this night to make ridiculous promises to each other. He searched out of morbid curiosity, but no one seemed to be there at the moment. That was a relief; he didn’t think he could handle seeing a giggly, love-struck couple rush past them as they left the tower.

“Felix?” Sylvain’s voice was tinged with worry and he moved a half-step closer.

Realizing he hadn’t actually said anything in response to Sylvain’s apology, Felix shook his head again. “Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything. I just had a dizzy spell and needed some air.” 

“Oh. Well, that’s a relief.” His whole body relaxed as the tension fell away, relieved that he wasn’t the cause of his friend’s sour mood. He jumped up to sit on the stone wall. “How do you feel now? Still dizzy?”

The tightness was gone, and the warmth had moved from Felix’s face to his stomach. At least it wasn’t obvious to anyone other than Felix now. “No. I’m better. You can go back to the party now. I’m fine.”

“Nah, I’m done partying for tonight. I was actually going to use you as an excuse to leave, but then I couldn’t find you. Thought maybe I could say that you dragged me into a sparring session or something.”

“Seteth locked up the training grounds, so that excuse wouldn’t have worked.”

“Damn.” Sylvain furrowed his eyebrows. “Wait, did you actually go to the training grounds tonight to train?”

“Of course I did. I’d rather be swinging my sword than wasting time with a girl at that stupid ball.”

“But even when you were at the ball, you weren’t spending any time with girls.”

Felix shot him a glare. “How do you know that?”

Sylvain put his hands behind his head nonchalantly. “I was watching you.”

“Why?”

“To make sure you were enjoying yourself, which you clearly weren’t. When I couldn’t find you, part of me was afraid that you’d jumped into the lake to get away from the ball.” Sylvain leaned down and bumped his shoulder. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

“Hmph.”

Sylvain seemed to consider something, actually thinking before he just spoke for once. “Hey, Felix?”

“What?”

“I’m not a girl, so is it still wasting your time to be out here with me?”

Felix looked at him out of the corner of narrowed eyes. 

“Why would you ask that?”

“I don’t know, just…can you answer the question?” Sylvain was genuinely concerned with the answer, if the look in his eyes was any indication. 

Sylvain’s confident, cocky persona that he showed the rest of the world had never really fooled Felix, and he needed a lot of reassurance, particularly from either Felix or Ingrid. Maybe it was because they spent their formative years often in each other’s company and grew to know each other’s tells. Maybe it was because Sylvain had shown up at Fraldarius manor one too many times with bruises and broken limbs that he explained away with weak excuses and charming smiles, the pain hiding just beneath the surface. He never wanted to be the one who made Sylvain feel the way he felt back then.

But he could still make a show of it.

Felix sighed heavily. “I suppose talking to you isn’t a  _ complete _ waste of time. Your company can be...tolerable.”

Sylvain’s worried expression vanished and his face lit up, breaking into a broad grin.

“For what it’s worth, Felix, I like spending time with you too. I feel like I can just be myself, not the heir of Gautier, not the bearer of the Lance of Ruin, not a potential ticket into the nobility. Just Sylvain. I’m really glad you put up with me and all my bullshit.”

“Well, you put up with me too,” Felix replied. “I know I’m not the easiest person to get along with and I have a short fuse, but that never puts you off. You just laugh it off because you understand where it’s coming from.” He lowered his head, his voice almost a whisper. “I don’t know what would have happened to me if you hadn’t been there when Glenn…”

Sylvain wrapped his arms around the younger man’s shoulders and pulled him into the space between his knees to hold him to his chest. “Hey, it’s okay. I’ll always be here for you. I’ll always…” He hesitated, as if reconsidering what he had wanted to say. “I’ll always be your friend. Live together, die together, right?”

Felix allowed himself to lay his head on Sylvain’s chest and revel in the warmth of his embrace. “Right. Thanks, Syl.” The nickname was out of his mouth before he realized it. He had never called Sylvain anything but his name or some synonym for “idiot.” He cringed, hoping that Sylvain wouldn’t make a big deal out of it and tease him mercilessly.

Instead, the larger man squeezed him affectionately. “Anytime, Fe.”

He melted a little at his own new nickname, letting out the tiniest of sighs. Felix could have stayed here all night, gazing up at the stars, being held in Sylvain’s strong arms. It felt right, even if he couldn’t exactly explain why.

All too soon, Felix heard some voices echoing from the stairs to their left. A male and female, no doubt a couple on their way to the Goddess Tower. Sylvain must have heard it too; he pulled away from Felix, almost embarrassed, jumped down from the wall, and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, I guess it’s time for us to clear out. It sounds like someone wants to make use of the Goddess Tower, and they probably don’t want an audience.”

Felix agreed. “Let’s leave through the cathedral. I don’t want anyone thinking I was up there with you.”

Sylvain laughed but he followed Felix back toward the cathedral. Once inside the doorway, though, he stopped, turned around, and peeked out.

“What are you doing?” Felix hissed.

“I want to see who it is.” Sylvain swatted at the hand that had grabbed his arm to pull him away.

Though he wouldn’t admit it, Felix was curious to see who it was too, so he ducked down to peer out from under Sylvain’s head.

“Oh, Baltie!” came a cheerful voice that was easily recognizable. “You didn’t have to come with me, you know.”

Sylvain looked back at Felix, stifling a laugh, and mouthed, “Baltie?” Felix just shrugged.

“You said you wanted to make a wish at the Goddess Tower, and I couldn’t have you coming up here with some guy who may have unsavory intentions.”

Hilda and Balthus crossed in front of the doorway that Felix and Sylvain were hiding behind.

Hilda stopped next to the well and turned to face the large grappler. “ _ Unsavory intentions _ ?” She said it slowly and questioningly, as if feeling out the words. 

Balthus threw his hands in the air. “What, I have to watch out for you or Holst will have my head. I was a teenage boy once. I know how they think, and I especially know how they behave toward cute girls.”

Hilda folded her hands behind her back and swayed side to side. “Aww, you think I’m cute?”

“Of course I think you’re cute. Downright adorable. Like the little sister I never wanted.”

She punched him in the arm, and he just laughed.

“Come on, let’s go make that wish so we can get back to the party.”

With that, they crossed the little bridge to the Goddess Tower, and their voices were carried off by the wind.

Sylvain stepped away from the doorway with raised eyebrows.

“Wow, Hilda and Balthus? Never would’ve seen that coming.”

“Yeah, well, people can’t choose who they’re attracted to.” Felix turned and started to walk away to hide the blush that was threatening to color his face.

Sylvain stood for another moment where he was, considering Felix’s words. “Ain’t that the truth?” he muttered to no one, smiling fondly at his friend’s retreating back. Then he jogged to catch up, throwing an arm around Felix’s shoulder.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on several scenes that are much more angsty, but I needed to write something lighter, considering what's going on right now with the coronavirus stuff. I hope this took your mind off the craziness for a little while!


End file.
